The NFL connection

This season several area high school teams feature players with family ties to professional football

September 05, 2003|By Bob Sakamoto, Tribune staff reporter.

Dave Duerson was such a proud papa, beaming from ear to ear.

"It felt so good watching from Loyola's stands as my son Tregg scored four touchdowns," said Duerson, the former Bears All-Pro safety. "Heck, I never scored four touchdowns in a game."

Tregg's grand Loyola debut last Saturday in Wilmette came six days after his coach and the school's athletic director, John Hoerster, had died of an apparent heart attack. It sparked the Ramblers to an emotional 35-14 season-opening victory over Lake Central of St. John, Ind.

"My dad does a great job of breaking down the game for me," said Tregg, a senior.

"I listen to him because I know what a great player he was. I know people recognize me because of my last name, but there's nothing you can do to get away from it."

A couple of Tregg's friends--Jarrett Payton (Miami) and Aaron Moorehead (Indianapolis Colts), the sons of Walter Payton and Emery Moorehead--know exactly how he feels. So does the youngest Duerson, Brock, who plays on Loyola's freshman team with Joey Suhey, son of ex-Bears fullback Matt Suhey.

There are several other area high school players with a direct connection to the NFL.

Bobby Buchanan, Ray's brother

Joliet Catholic defensive back Bobby Buchanan, who has 4.3-second 40 speed and has made an oral commitment to Illinois, was excused from two weeks of school in 7th grade to watch his older brother--Atlanta Falcons cornerback Ray Buchanan--play in the Super Bowl and Pro Bowl.

"Even though the Falcons lost to Denver, I had a great time in Miami," Bobby Buchanan said. "A week later at the Pro Bowl, I got to meet and hang around with Randy Moss, Terrell Davis, Steve Young and Eddie George.

"I went up to Shannon Sharpe and talked trash to him. My brother had hit him so hard that he'd put him out of the game. He was like: `Little kid, get away from me!"

"My uncle works with me a lot, and it's almost like having my own personal offensive line coach," Dane said.

Mike Morrissey, Jim's son

Mike Morrissey, sophomore son of ex-Bears linebacker Jim Morrissey, starts at defensive back at Stevenson while Preston Earl, also a sophomore and son of ex-Bears fullback Robin Earl, splits time at quarterback with senior Matt Carr.

"Mike's a good athlete who gets his quickness from me--that's what kept me in the NFL for nine years." said Jim Morrissey, who played alongside Hall of Famer Mike Singletary and current Philadelphia Eagles assistant coach Ron Rivera.

"My dad is a real humble, soft-spoken person," Mike said. "Then to see this guy on film rip into people and realize that's my dad--it's kind of scary."

Marcus Randle El, Antwaan's brother

Marcus Randle El of Thornton draws comparisons to his big brother, Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Antwaan Randle El. Marcus is the kind of game-breaking quarterback Antwaan was at Thornton. Indiana is hoping to land another Randle El--although Marcus also has scholarship offers from Kansas State, Illinois, Wisconsin, Pittsburgh and Iowa, among others.

"I think it's a compliment when people compare me to my brother because he is such a great athlete," Marcus said.